Spine Challenger North 2024 - Jon's story
Many thanks to everybody who supported and followed me as I took place and completed the Spine Challenger North, a 160 mile walk along the Northern section of the Pennine Way.
Videos mentioned in video – official spine videos featured in
1. Episode 3 – watch section of us near to end
2. Episode 4 – Start of video, piece to camera
3. Episode 6 – Jon walking through Cheviot Hills
I had 90 hours to complete this distance, climbing 17,355 feet over that distance Started at Hardraw, near to Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales and finished at Kirk Yetholm, in the Scottish Borders.
So, what GPS devices did I use for the Spine event?
1. Navigate with – Garmin GPSMAP67
2. Record with Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar
Jon's Spine Challenger North walk
Started at Hardraw on Monday 17th June @ 8.00 am
x 3 CP where you see your drop bag -
CP1 – Low Fell Farm – 34 miles
CP2 – Alston – 71 miles
CP3 – Bellingham – 110 miles
Finish – 160 miles
First climb – Great Shunner Fell
Dropped down the Thwaite – lost Paul – 7 miles in
Hooked up with – Chleo and Gabby
And also walked with Jerry – GPS user – Garmin eTrex 32x
Tan Hill Inn – 17 miles
Just above Grassholme Reservoir we got buzzed by the Drone for the official spine video and we ended up on the last minute of the official Spine Video that evening.
Lovely summers evening
Hit CP1 (Low Fell Farm) – just after 20.00 – day 1 – 34 miles
Stopped for about an hour
Then on past Low Force and High Force – favourite section of Pennine Way – From Middleton on Tees as you follow the River Tees up
Nightfall shortly after leaving CP1 then Cauldron Snout – Scramble
High Cup Nick – No views at 3.00 in morning – 18 hours into walk – still no sleep
Then long drop to Dufton – 30 minute sleep (early hours of Tuesday morning) – 21 hours in
Here we lost – Jerry and picked up Emma
Climbed up Green fell, Great Dunn Fell
As we climbed up we got interviewed for the official Spine Race video
Climbed the mighty - Cross Fell – summited at 10.00 am, Greggs Hut then the long walk into Alston – Our second CP – 31 hours 29 minutes total – 15.30 in the afternoon
Lasagne at alston
Slept and left Alston early Evening – 19.00
Left on my own, but Gabby and Chleo set off 15 minutes behind me
They caught me up after a couple of hours, but this hard between Alston and Hadrian’s Wall is hardest to navigate, especially in the dark – lots of fields, hardest to navigate in the dark.
Reached Greenhead just before 6.00 am and slept at Walltown Quarry at around 7.00 am, again for Half an hour
Back on Hadrian’s Wall, hard walking
Winshield Crags – highest point on HW – 10.00 am
Hard push on to Bellingham and arrived around 17.00 – 18.00
Ate, showered, slept for 1 hour at Bellingham
And back on the trail at just before 9.00 pm, climb out of Bellingham – lovely sun set
Hard night, a couple of power naps on the trail and
Reached and slep in Byreness church @ 5.30 - 1 hours sleep – slept on floor infront a pew – cold
Found it hard to get going but climbed onto the Cheviot Hills – my home patch
Again met the film crew for the spine video and my third and final appearance on the official video!
Caught Gabby, Chleo and Emma again as they has stopped for a sleep.
Hut 1 – 75 ½ hours in – 7 hours between these x 2 huts
Hut 2 – 82 hours in (6.00 pm – 19 hours after leaving Bellingham) – top of College Valley – cup of coffee
Then the long x 7 miles to Kirk Yetholm and the finish
Mixed emotions
Soaking feet - all through the event
Shock, cold, just chronically fatigues – 26 hours after waking up in Bellingham
Finished 86 hours and 12 minutes – cut off 90 hours
Further reading
1. Jon's Spine Challenger South - previous year
2. Spine races - kit prep, what to take with you
3. Spine races - what is the best GPS unit
4. The sock story - Spine Race - UK made walking socks for ultra events
Neil Astill
Thanks for that review and many congratulations on successfully completing, particularly given the conditions underfoot. I walked the Pennine Way a couple of years back (over 16 days!) and loved it but know how hard it must have been in 86 hours. I recently completed the LDWA’s Speyside 100 mile challenge and have been wondering what to turn to next year – maybe this it?… I certainly recognise a lot of the challenges and emotions you went through!